Draft-rigging for freight-cars.



No. 802,514. I PAT-ENTED OUT. 24, 1905. M. KENNEDY. DRAFT RIGGING FOR FREIGHT CARS.

- APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6. 1905.

5 MEETS-SHEET l.

I HHUW rill ' PATENTED OUT. 24, 1905.

a SHEETSSHEBT 2.

M. KENNEDY.

DRAFT RIGGING FOR FREIGHT CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JANJS. 1905.

Wmwww PATENTED vOGT. 24, 1905.

M. KENNEDY.

DRAFT RIGG-ING FOR FREIGHT CARS 5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 6, 1905.

PATENTED OUT. 24, 1905.

M. KENNEDY.

DRAFT RIGGING FOR FREIGHT CARS.

APPLIGATIOS FILED JAN. 6. 1905.

5 SHEBTS--SHEET 4.

mnniw. a. 0mm: 60., pumauruonmmens. WASHWG PATENTED OCT. 24, 1

M. KENNEDY.

DRAFT BIGGING FUR FREIGHT CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. (X1905.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

PATENT UFFT@F.

llllrlrllllli RENSHAXV, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

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Application filed January 6,

Specification of Letters Patent.

""T l tlGGllNG FOR FHElGMT- -(DAHS.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

1905. Serial No. 239,911.

To 1!. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lvfnn'rrn K mvnnny, a citizen of the United States, residingat Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft-Rigging for Freight-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in draft-riggings for f reight-cars.

The object of my invention is to provide a draft-rigging that will ctliectively distribute the shock resulting from coupling and operating a train, to prevent accidental detachment of the draw-bar, and to protect the ends of the cars.

A further object is to provide a cheap. light, and durable draft-rigging which shall simplify car construction and which may be readily inserted in place and easily removed when desired.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained by my invention, the preferred embodiments of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation showing my draft-rigging applied to a car having a metal lie frame. Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation, partly in section, on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 4: is a cross-section on the line 4: at of Fig. 2, look ing in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through a part of a wood construction-car provided with my draft-rigging. Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is an end elevation, partly in section, on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6. looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 8 is a cross-scction on the line 8 8 of Fig. 6 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the preferred form of my improved draft-rigging. Fig. 10 is a plan view of a modification thereof. Fig. 11 is a vertical cross-section on the line 11 ll of Fig. 1, and Fig. 12 is a vertical cross-section on the line 12 12 of Fig. 1.

Like letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several figures of the drawings.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A represents the draw-head, provided with a shoulder A, arranged parallel to the end of the car; B, the draw-head pin; (,3, the draw-bar, terminating in an enlarged T- .head C; D l), metallic draft-arms, compris ing enlarged front portions D D and rear portions UD. The front portions D D have within themselves a recess E, within which the T'llGLd C of the coupler plays. At the end of the recess is a pocket E, within which is loosely seated a spring F, adapted to engage the end of the T-head C.

At the front wall of the recess E are preferably fitted renewable wearing-strips G G, and on the shoulders G are fitted correspondingwearing-strips G i. The draft-armsDD are secured together by means of bolts H H or in any other suitable manner.

In fitting the draft-rigging and coupler in a car having a metallic body a portion of the end is cut away at .l. Ito receive the ends J J of the draft-arms. The draft-rigging and coupler are secured in place by any suitable means---such, for example, as straps K K, secured to the ends J J of the draft-rigging and to the end of the car by bolts K K, and also in the rear bymeans of bolts L L through the ends of the arms and the body-bolster M. The draw-bar is held in place in the draftrigging by means of a front carrier 0 and a botttom carrier 1, secured to the bottom of the rigging. If additional support is desired, rods T may be passed through the holes Q Q in the arms and secured to the fioor of the car R. I, may, if preferred, cut away sufficient of the end to allow the passage of the shank of the coupler, inflwhich event the end of the draft-rigging would lit closely against the end of the car. hen it is desired to remove the draft-rigging, the carrier 0 is removed and the bolts L L and K K sheared off, whereupon the draft-rigging will drop out of place.

fteferring to Figs. 5 and 6, in which the draft-rigging and coupler are shown in place in a car with a wooden frame, the only essential differences are that the structure is fastened to the stringers S of the car by means of the rods T passing through the bolt-holes Q Q in the rigging, and also by means of a strap U passing under the front portion of the rigging and secured thereto by bolts U and also bolted to the end sill of the car. The draft-rigging in this construction closely abuts the body-bolster M.

In Fig. 10 .l have illustrated a modification of my invention, in which the draft-rigging (Z is made in one piece.

Fig. 11 shows in detail the method by which the front carrier 0 is secured to the draftrigging by means of bolts V V, and Fig. 12 shows in detail the method by which the bottom carrier P is secured to the draft-rigging by means of bolts IV IV.

When my improved draft-rigging is in position and cars coupled together are subjected to a pulling strain, this strain is transmitted through the T-head 0 against the wearingstrips G G, and thence the strain is transmitted through the entire structure and also through the body-bolster. If the car is at rest when this strain is applied, the spring F is in released position and has pushed the T- head against the front of the recess, so that there is no impact. hen the cars are coupled, the force of impact is first exerted to compress the spring F, and thus diminish the force of impact. The length of the recess E is so proportioned that when the face A of the coupler-head abuts the ends J J of the draftarms the end of the T-head simultaneously strikes the rear end of the recess E, and the shock is thus transmitted and distributed through the draft-arms and against the bodybolster and against the metallic end sill.

IVhile I have shown renewable wearingstrips on the faces of the recess and T-head, I may dispense with them, if desired.

Coupler-heads now in use embody a curved face with a small bearing-surface on one side thereof. The use of this construction is very destructive to the ends of the cars or to the buffer-plates interposed between the face of the coupler and the end. Constant switching of the cars with the consequent repeated impact of this coupler against the buffer-plates soon splinters the dead-wood block, if it be wood, or indents it, if it be metal, with a correspondingly-injurious effect upon the end of the car itself. In my construction the shoulder on the coupler-head surrounds the shank and is parallel with the end of the car or draftrigging, and thus presents a large impactsurface with a correspondingly decreasing liability to injure the end of the draft-rigging.

My draft-rigging as constructed embodies very few parts and is easily assembled and put in place and as easily removed from the car when desired without practically dismantling the car, as in other devices, while the draft-arms also serve, in effect, as stringers for the car-frame.

Injury to the draft-rigging is a principal source of damage to which cars are liable, as an inspection of cars sent in for repairs will show that more than seventy-live (75%) per cent. are so damaged. In all structures of this character the element of cost depends largely upon the number of parts used and the weight of the material. By the use of my improved draft-rigging I am enabled to dispense with the use of over eight hundred (800) pounds of material required in draftriggings of other types and am able to effect a great saving in weight as against all other types of draft-rigging and at the same time accomplish the result by the use of fewer parts than required in any construction now in use.

WhileI have illustrated two forms of draftrigging, it is evident that other modifications may be used without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim 1. As a new article of manufacture, a metallic draft-rigging, comprising draft-arms secured together and rigidly secured to the end of the car, said draft-arms being provided with an interior recess terminating in a pocket, said recess having wearing-strips upon its front face.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a carcoupler comprising a coupler-head having a flat base at right angles to the shank, and a shank terminating in a horizontal T-head, the shoulders of said T-head being provided with wearing-strips.

3. In an article of the class described, the combination with a car, of a metallic draftrigging provided with a recess, a pocket, a coupler having a face at right angles to the shank thereof and terminating in a horizontal T-head seated within said recess, and a spring, seated within said pocket, adapted to rest against the T-head, said recess and T-head being provided with wearing-strips.

4:. In an article of the class described, the combination with a car, ofa metallic draftrigging provided with a recess, a pocket, a coupler having a face at right angles to the shank thereof and terminating in a horizontal T-head seated within said recess and secured in place by means of carrier-plates, and a spring seated within said pocket and adapted to rest against the T-head, said recess and T- head being provided with wearing-strips.

5. In an article of the class described, the combination with a car, of a draft-rigging, a coupler having a face at right angles to its shank, said shank terminating in a horizontal T-head loosely fitted within a recess in the draft-arms, said coupler and recess being so proportioned that, when the face of the coupler-head rests againstthe ends of the draftarms,. the ends of the T-head will rest against the end of the recess.

6. In adraft-rigging, the combination with a car-frame, of a draft-beam provided with a recess adapted to receive the rear end of a draw-bar, the rear wall of said recess being arranged to provide an abutment for the rear end of said draw-bar, and a draw-bar extending through the end sill of the car and into said recess, said draw bar being provided with a shoulder adapted to abut against the end sill of the car at the same time that the rear end of said draw-bar strikes said abutment in said recess, substantially as described.

7. In a draft-rigging, the combination with a car-frame, of a draft-beam mounted within said car-frame, said draft-beam being provided with a recess adapted to receive the rear end of a draw-bar, said recess being provided with an abutment for the rear end of the draw-bar and being also provided with means for receiving a bufler-spring adapted to engage the rear end of the draw-bar, and a drawbar extending through the front sill of the car into said recess and provided witha shoulder, all so arranged that, whenever said shoulder strikes the front sill of the car, the rear end of the draw-bar will simultaneously strike the abutment provided therefor in said recess, substantially as described.

8. In a draft-rigging, the combination with a car-frame, of a draft-timber mounted within said frame and extending from the end sill to the transom-bar, said draft-timber being provided with a recess adapted to receive the rear end of the draw-bar and provided with means for affording an abutmentfor the rear end of the draw-bar, a buffer-spring mounted within said recess and arranged to engage the rear end of the draw-bar, a draw-bar extending through the end sill of the car into said recess and againstsaid spring, said draw-bar being provided adjacent to its forward end with a shoulder, all so arranged that said shoulder will abut against the end sill at the same time that the rear end of the draw-bar strikes the abutment provided therefor in said recess.

9. In an article of the class described, the

combination with a car, of a draft-rigging, a coupler com prising a coupler-head and shank, said shank terminating in a T-head loosely fitted within a recess in the draft-arms, said coupler and recess being so proportioned that, when the coupler-head rests against the ends of the draft-arms, the end of the T-head will rest against the end of the recess.

10. In a draft rigging, the combination with a car-frame, of a draft-beam secured thereto, a draw-bar provided at its rear end with shoulders, said draft-beam being provided with a recess adapted to receive the rear end of said draw bar, said recess being provided with an abutment for the rear end of said draw-bar and also with means for engaging said shoulders on said draw-bar head when the draw-bar is moved forwardly, said draw-bar being also provided adjacent to its forward end with a shoulder, all so arranged that, whenever the shoulder of the forward end of the draw-bar abuts against the end sill of the ear, the rear end of the draw-bar will simultaneously abut against the abutment provided therefor in said recess, substantially as described.

MARTIN KENNEDY.

Witnesses:

F. H. DRURY, O. R. BARNETT. 

